Staff Reporter :
Thousands of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Lebanon are desperately seeking to return their home as they are passing their days in inhuman conditions in the Gulf nation without work, food and money.
The stranded expatriates are reportedly filling application with Bangladeshi Embassy in Beirut to return to Bangladesh. However, the authorities are yet to devise any plan to send them back.
Lebanon was going through a severe economic and political crisis since the Beirut explosion. The explosion brought immense suffering for expats in Lebanon including Bangladeshi workers. A significant number of Bangladeshi workers have already lost their jobs amid the crisis in the Middle East country.
Bangladeshi expatriate Md Ali Hossain who was working as a cleaner in Beirut, said, ‘First two years, I have earned a good amount of money. But my earnings dropped by a big margin after the Lebanon’s economic slump caused by Covid-19 pandemic. The Beirut explosion aggravated my misery further.’
Those who have job are also facing crisis due to a ‘worst’ currency devaluation in Lebanon. Ali Hossain said, ‘Before the devaluation of Lebanese currency I got salary of Tk 32,000-35,000 and now my salary comes down to Tk 4,000 due to the devaluation.’
He also said that to survive many expats are bringing money from Bangladesh.
‘Those who don’t have a job collect bottles from the streets and sell these, even many beg. If I stay in the Bangladesh, I manage a work to eat. We want to return to Bangladesh. But when we go to the embassy, they don’t want to hear us. We have to face their abusive behavior also,’ he said.
According to Bangladesh government, about 1.5 lakh Bangladeshi expatriates are working in Lebanon.
Abdullah Al Mamun, First Minister for Labour Welfare Wing in Bangladeshi Embassy in Beirut said, ‘Bangladeshi migrant workers are on trouble as they lost their jobs. Some expats also filed application to return home. The workers will be sent back when their applications will be accepted.’
He said that the Embassy have sent back 6,500 Bangladeshi workers this year. Procedure to send back all those who applied is not over. ‘It is not possible to repatriate thousands of people overnight. It will take time and need proper planning.’
Earlier Bangladeshi expatriates protested outside the embassy alleging that the embassy is not taking any responsibility to repatriate them.
‘In such a situation, the Bangladesh government should take immediate steps to bring the stranded workers back making special arrangements,’ said Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) President Dr. Tasneem Siddiqui.
She said there was an urgent need to reach a speedy agreement with the Lebanese government on to bring the Bangladeshi workers back to home. The government should arrange chartered flights.
Bangladesh is bracing itself to receive home hundreds of thousands of migrant workers laid off in their host countries due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
From April 1 to November 30, 326,758 expatriate workers have returned to the country amid the pandemic.
Thousands of Bangladeshi migrant workers in Lebanon are desperately seeking to return their home as they are passing their days in inhuman conditions in the Gulf nation without work, food and money.
The stranded expatriates are reportedly filling application with Bangladeshi Embassy in Beirut to return to Bangladesh. However, the authorities are yet to devise any plan to send them back.
Lebanon was going through a severe economic and political crisis since the Beirut explosion. The explosion brought immense suffering for expats in Lebanon including Bangladeshi workers. A significant number of Bangladeshi workers have already lost their jobs amid the crisis in the Middle East country.
Bangladeshi expatriate Md Ali Hossain who was working as a cleaner in Beirut, said, ‘First two years, I have earned a good amount of money. But my earnings dropped by a big margin after the Lebanon’s economic slump caused by Covid-19 pandemic. The Beirut explosion aggravated my misery further.’
Those who have job are also facing crisis due to a ‘worst’ currency devaluation in Lebanon. Ali Hossain said, ‘Before the devaluation of Lebanese currency I got salary of Tk 32,000-35,000 and now my salary comes down to Tk 4,000 due to the devaluation.’
He also said that to survive many expats are bringing money from Bangladesh.
‘Those who don’t have a job collect bottles from the streets and sell these, even many beg. If I stay in the Bangladesh, I manage a work to eat. We want to return to Bangladesh. But when we go to the embassy, they don’t want to hear us. We have to face their abusive behavior also,’ he said.
According to Bangladesh government, about 1.5 lakh Bangladeshi expatriates are working in Lebanon.
Abdullah Al Mamun, First Minister for Labour Welfare Wing in Bangladeshi Embassy in Beirut said, ‘Bangladeshi migrant workers are on trouble as they lost their jobs. Some expats also filed application to return home. The workers will be sent back when their applications will be accepted.’
He said that the Embassy have sent back 6,500 Bangladeshi workers this year. Procedure to send back all those who applied is not over. ‘It is not possible to repatriate thousands of people overnight. It will take time and need proper planning.’
Earlier Bangladeshi expatriates protested outside the embassy alleging that the embassy is not taking any responsibility to repatriate them.
‘In such a situation, the Bangladesh government should take immediate steps to bring the stranded workers back making special arrangements,’ said Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU) President Dr. Tasneem Siddiqui.
She said there was an urgent need to reach a speedy agreement with the Lebanese government on to bring the Bangladeshi workers back to home. The government should arrange chartered flights.
Bangladesh is bracing itself to receive home hundreds of thousands of migrant workers laid off in their host countries due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
From April 1 to November 30, 326,758 expatriate workers have returned to the country amid the pandemic.
